


Another Family, Another Dollar

by AJM233



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Emmett Swan - Freeform, Gender or Sex Swap, Gender swap Emma, Multi, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, RedBeauty, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, no magic, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2018-12-27 07:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12076593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJM233/pseuds/AJM233
Summary: Emmett has been living in Storybrooke with David and Mary Margret as his foster parents for almost a year now but things begin to change when Regina Mills moves back in with her mother.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, SwanQueen is endgame but it's gonna be a slow burn with both parties 'dating' other people before they eventually get together. And while this is a SwanQueen story, the main focus, to begin with, will be on Emmett resolving some problems and then Regina eventually helping. And the gender swap has a reason since there's no magic.  
> I don't really know how the American school system works so it's gonna have more in common with England's but they're gonna finish when their 18 instead of 16 (similar to sixth form).  
> And this is rated T (swearing and violence) and will only be raised to M if there is an especially violent scene. Any T/W will be at the beginnings of the chapters.  
> Already on FF.net

"Hey, beauty," Emmett says coming up behind Belle and wrapping his arms around her waist, causing her to stop walking towards the school's entrance. "Why are you here so early?"

"Hello, Emmett," she replies with a sigh and a small hint of a smile. "I help out in the library, remember? Why are  _you_  here so early?"

He gives her a quick peck on her cheek before releasing her, moving to her side, and offering her his arm, which she takes. "Detention," he replies, the pout obvious in his voice.

"And since when do you turn up for morning detentions?" she asks playfully as they walk up the steps to the high school.

"Since I'm curious about the new teacher. I heard the principal say, and I quote, 'I'll give him morning detentions, then the newbie will have to deal with him. I'm sure if any other teacher has to sit with him one more time we'll have a murder-suicide on our hands'," Emmett smirks.

Belle shakes her head and swats his arm lightly, "You shouldn't be proud of torturing the teachers."

"But it's fuuun," he whines, smirk still in place. "You and Ruby Red going well?"

"You know your nickname for her is basically 'Red Red', right?" Emmett simply replies with a chuckle. "And yes, thank you." But her smile has dropped slightly.

"Still hasn't asked you out?" She shakes her head. He sighs. "You ask her then."

"Will be having lunch with us today?" Belle asks when they reach the library door, avoiding his statement. She already knows he isn't going to be joining them, he's always more playful when he's having a bad day and when he's having a bad day he always does something stupid.

"I'll join you if I'm still here. Now, go get your book on."

Belle releases his arm after giving it a light squeeze and shakes her head with a smile before leaving him alone in the empty hallway. He lets his smile drop and sighs. Putting his hands in his pockets, he begins to make his way to his detention.

There are two reasons he actually decided to attend it today. One, he is genuinely curious about the new teacher. He'd heard one of the teachers say 'she's going to be eaten alive' because she's fresh out of education. And two, he'd woken up at about 5am shaking and sweating after a painful nightmare and knew he wasn't going to get back to sleep. He's never been able to in the past.

So here he is, at 7am, getting surprised looks from passing teachers as they get ready for their day.

The walk to his destination is short so it doesn't take him long to reach it. The detention room is a smaller version of a classroom, about half the number of desks facing the teacher's one in front of a blackboard.

He knew it well.

Although, he only turns up when there's nothing else to do or he can't trust himself to be alone.

He puts his hand on the door before shaking his head and walking back the way he came. He pushes through the library door, "Belle, fuck detention! Do you need any help?" He stops in his tracks noticing Belle behind the library's desk talking over it with someone he's never seen before.

"Emmett, don't be stupid. You're actually here for once so you might as well go."

He walks further into the library; his eyes linger on the new person. Her brunette hair, cut just above her shoulders, swishes as she turns to face him. And by fuck is she gorgeous. Her eyes rake over him in a way that is both intense and, hopefully, faking disinterest. He smiles to himself,  _challenge accepted_.

When he realises Belle has been talking to him he snaps his eyes to her before leaning against the desk. "I'd much rather help you out."

She sighs for two reasons; one, he is going to get in trouble for skipping and two, because she knows what that look in his eye when he spotted Regina meant. More trouble.

The new brunette clears her throat drawing the other woman's attention. "Oh, Regina, this is Emmett Swan he moved here about a month after you moved away. And, Emmett, this is Regina Mills, the mayor's daughter."

_Ooh, the mayor's daughter, challenge defiantly accepted_.

"It's nice to meet you, Regina," he says, liking the way her name feels rolling off his tongue. He offers her a smile, looking her up and down appreciatively before offering his hand. She doesn't take it, deciding to roll her eyes instead at the attention.

"You're the boy the Nolans adopted. Mother told me about you," she states sticking out her chin slightly.

He withdraws his hand. "Actually, they're just my foster parents and I'm sure Cora had only nice things to say about me." He displays the cocky smirk he'd perfected ages ago that he knew drove stuck up people crazy.

Regina looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "She says that she's thought about calling social services on you for all the crap you've pulled."

His smile drops for a moment before returning and, although it was barely noticeable, Regina instantly knows she went too far. She'd obviously noticed he's blatant checking out of her body and she didn't want to deal with a hormonal teenage boy so she'd gone into cold bitch mode. But his look hadn't been as leering as most of the guys that have so plainly checked her out without even trying to hide it. It'd been quick and felt more as if he had been appreciating fine art than thinking about what she'd look like naked. His eyes haven't left her face since while most would have slipped back down by now.  _He didn't deserve that level of bitchiness_ , she thinks.

"Well, tell her not to bother, I'm sure the Nolans will call them themselves soon enough. So, Belle," he says stopping either woman adding to that conversation. "Is there anything I can do here?"

She points him to the returns trolley full of books that need to be placed back on the shelves. The two brunettes watch him leave.

"I'm sorry, I did mean to…" Regina trails off watching him leave with furrowed brows.

"Just steer clear of that topic with him unless he brings it up." she shakes her head. "He's having a bad day."

"A bad day? He looked fine until I stuck my foot in it."

"He's good at hiding it," Belle says turning and trying to catch glimpses of Emmett through the bookshelves. "You can tell when he acts extra happy. He over compensates, hoping no one will notice."

Regina sighs, "I should apologise. I'm trying to be less of the Evil Queen I was before I moved."

Belle's gaze returns to Regina who is looking apologetically towards Emmett's direction. She genuinely looks like she means it. The fact that she's been happily talking to the 'Book Worm' of her own accord has been surprising enough.  _I wonder what happened in the time she was away to make her change so much_ , Belle thinks.

"Okay, but be warned he'll try to hit on you." While she doesn't want to deter the apology, the warning is genuinely needed if the look he got in his eye earlier is anything to go by.

"I'll take my chances, dear," Regina says over her shoulder as she walks towards the blond boy.

 

* * *

 

"Hey."

Emmett looks up from where he's knelt on the floor trying to do a good job for Belle and get the books exactly where they should be instead of just a general location near it. Before he'd found out Belle has the hots for Ruby, he'd tried to hit on her, offering to help around the library just to spend some time with her. Back then, he would have just roughly found the correct shelf where the book belonged but after becoming her friend and actually spending real time in this place, he'd learnt how annoying it was when he was trying to find a book but it wasn't in the correct location.

"Hi," Emmett stands up facing the new brunette. "Couldn't get enough of me?"

She rolls her eyes. "I came to apologise but…" she trails off while shaking her head before moving to walk away.

He raises his hands, palms outward. "Wait. Wait. I'll stop with the cockiness." She turns back towards him. "But you don't need to apologise. You were just repeating what your mum said."

"I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have said it, at least not like that."

"It's okay, really, I've had much worse." Her eyebrows furrow and she goes to open her mouth, obviously about to ask, but he cuts her off quickly. "So, did your mum talk about me much? She seems to have an obsession with me."

Regina raises an eyebrow. "Well, firstly, she warned against going anywhere near you."

"That's the worst thing she could have done." She tilts her head. "Normally, when I'm told I can't do something, it just makes me want to do it more," he explains with a smirk.

"I respect my mother's opinion." The small, barely there smirk and the piercing look in her eyes tell him that the challenge he's set for himself will be difficult but not impossible. "And, secondly, she told me some stories."

"Oh, really," his smirk turns into a grin that he tries to hide by returning to his job replacing the books back in their homes, "Such as."

"Apparently, you egged our house-" 'mansion' he mumbles under a fake cough before moving to the next shelf over. She ignores his interruption - the only indication that she heard him is a small eye roll - and carries on, "And her car."

"She has no proof that was me."

"That grin about to break your face tells me you had something to do with it."

"Shh," he lifts his finger to his lips while trying to suppress said grin. "This is a library; please keep your voice down."

Another eye roll.

But she doesn't walk away.

And he swears there's a small smile tugging at her beautiful lips.

"I told you she's obsessed."

"Just talking about you had the small vein in her forehead showing. I've only seen it when she's shouting."

"You should see it when I'm in her presence," he chuckles. "I'm surprised she hasn't had an aneurysm yet."

"I'm surprised she hasn't done everything in her power to make you leave town."

"I'm just too good at not getting caught. Although I wouldn't have minded her persistence when I first got here, I should have caught her attention earlier," he admits putting the last book in its place before turning to Regina.

"What do you mean? Didn't you like it here?"

He shrugged. "I'm a city kid. Much more to do there," he says before adding quietly, "And a lot easier to get lost." He turns away and starts wheeling the book return trolley back to where it is kept behind the desk.

"Why did you stop trying to leave then?"

"A couple of reasons I guess. Mary Margret and David aren't bad foster parents… but mostly that nerd," he says nodding his head towards the shorter brunette currently humming to herself as she took some things down and put other things up on the notice board by the door.

She raises an eyebrow. "You know if you want to date someone it's bad form to hit on someone else in front of them."

Emmett chuckles. "It's not like that. Well to begin with… but she's just a good friend and they're hard to make when you're constantly moving. And I wasn't hitting on you, simply admiring."

The bell rings before she can reply, catching them both off guard.

"I'm guessing you already know your way around this place."

"I do."

"Well, Belle and I have lunch out on the field by the car park with some other people if you want to join us."

"I have some old friends I have to say 'hello' to," she says walking over to the door and giving a small wave to Belle before looking back over her shoulder at him. "But I'll think about it." She leaves without saying goodbye.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W: Small mention of abuse and self-harm.

Regina's sitting at her desk, writing notes while listening to Mrs Blanchard when Emmett comes waltzing into class. The unbuttoned, red plaid shirt he'd been wearing earlier has been covered by an opened, well-worn, black leather jacket. It has two red streaks across the chest carrying on round the biceps before stopping. His well fitting, black jeans were almost worn through at the knees. His hands gripping the strap of a green-grey messenger bag he also didn't have before. She'd noticed that both of his hands are taped up around the knuckles - almost like a boxer - when he'd offered his hand to shake in the library but now there seems to be a bit of red marring the previously white bandage on his right.

"Sorry I'm late," he says with his small, almost constant, public smile, as Mary Margaret turns towards him. Her eyes flick down to his knuckles and Regina sees a brief pained look cross her features but she quickly schools her features.

"Just take your seat, please," she says while motioning to his seat, middle row by the window. As he passes where she's leaning against the front of her desk, she stops him to whisper, "We'll talk after class."

Emmett just nods before continuing to his seat. His smile grows wider and genuine when he spots Regina at the desk behind his. He puts his bag on the floor and gives her a wink as he slips out of his jacket before placing it on the back of his chair. The blond sits down at an angle, leaning back against the wall under the window before draping an arm over the back of his chair and looking back at Regina over his shoulder.

"Are you stalking me?" he whispers.

She simply lifts a delicate finger to her lips shushing him before pointing to the front of the room. He chuckles quietly before turning back to rest his head on his hand and look out the window.

She isn't sure how to feel about Emmett. He is handsome and funny, defiantly less gormless than most of the boys in Storybrooke, but while he is charming - if not a bit cocky - she is taken. Though, thinking of Daniel now mostly hurts. She loves him but the new distance between them is already painful and it's only been a half a week. He'd been there for the worst week of her life. He'd held her as she'd cried and had whispered comforting words to her. Now she's had to leave him behind and move back with her mother who'd forced her back to school early because her 'moping around the house is distracting'.

Regina had been told by the principle that her teachers had been enlightened to her situation in case she needs to leave during class or required extra time on assignments. She isn't sure whether starting back at school this early is the best for her but she's also not sure she could've taken being alone with her thoughts any longer. Hopefully Daniel's visit this weekend will cheer her up.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the lesson flies by quicker than normal for Emmett. He usually does listen to the teacher as he stares out the window, he really does, but his mind keeps going back to his dream last night. He only really remembers part of it but it brought back the memories it'd been based on.

And they'd hit him pretty hard.

The only things he remembers from the dream is the feeling of being weak and the pain of his arm breaking. The memories the dream had surfaced filled in the gaps.

The tight, bruising grips on his upper arms.

The shaking when his legs were lifted off the ground.

The whoosh of air passed his ears as the ground came closer.

He shakes his head loose of the memories as the bell rings for lunch. Then pushes a smile to his lips and turns back to the beautiful brunette behind him. He watches her gather her things into her bag before asking, "So, who are the friends you gotta says 'hi' too?"

"Just some people I'm not sure I want to continue being friends with," she says barely taking notice of what leaves her mouth as green eyes focus on her deep brown ones.

"Oh?"

She sighs realising what she's said. "It's nothing. I just wasn't particularly nice to most people here and my 'friends' may have encouraged my old behaviour. I want to be different this time."

"Well, my friends are nice, blow off whoever the bastards are and hang out with us."

"I've told you I'll think about it," she says allowing a small smile to grace her lips. She lifts her bag over her shoulder and moves to leave but stops when Emmett's hand catches her eye again. She gestures to it and says, "You need to change your bandage."

His head snaps down before quickly moving his other hand over it. He forces his lips to curl up at the sided but it doesn't quite meet his usual standards of a fake smile and looks back up at her. "Ah, thanks. See ya later."

"Maybe," she says as she walks away. She feels his eyes on her and she can't help but put more sway in her hips than normal. She stops the sway halfway when her mind falls back to Daniel and the guilt from her flirting with Emmett at the library earlier comes back full force. She sighs to herself as she lowers her head.

The last of the students making plans for lunch and after school leave and Emmett is left alone with a disappointed looking foster mother. He'd seen that look on her face many times but it's only really started bothering him lately. He'd mostly gotten anger from his other foster parents before and the rare disappointment was followed by a new home.

But with Mary Margaret and David, there's a strange sadness after it and an attempt to help with whatever made him do wrong.

They seem to actually care about him and he's only managed to believe and understand that recently. And though he still gets in trouble, it's not because he's trying to be sent back before the genuinely nice couple can reject him, it's because he can't help himself. He has a short temper in certain situation and with certain people. He finds it's best to avoid those, which generally involves skipping class.

Though, sometimes, he's just busy chatting someone up to notices the bell's gone off.

"Where were you this morning?"

"I went for a run," he replies. He immediately sees the disappointment vanish and worry take its place.

"Nightmare?" Mary Margaret asks as she walks to his desk and kneels beside Emmett who simply nods his answer. There's no point in lying, she knows him too well and she's seen him at his worst. "Why didn't you wake us up? You know you can."

"I just wanted to forget about it."

She reaches for his hand when she remembers the spots of blood seeping through the bandage she'd seen when he first walked into class. "Do you have any more?" she asks. He nods and retrieves a box from his bag as Mary Margaret carefully removes the soiled tape and cotton pad under it. "I thought the running stopped you doing this."

He flashes her a smile as he hands over the box and says, "A wall gave me a dirty look. Had to teach it a lesson."

She stops removing stuff from the first aid box and looks him dead in the eye. "Emmett, stop making jokes. This is serious." His smile vanishes and she starts gently wrapping his hand back up.

"I… It was a bad one. I couldn't get it out of my head."

"You can't keep doing this. You've already broken your hand; I don't want to see you in that much pain again."

"I'm sorry."

She finishes with his hand and places a soft kiss on top of the new tape. He's had many foster mothers over the years, even an adoptive mother, but he's never felt as much motherly love from all of them combined as he does now. It's a strange feel; he's not quite sure how to deal with it yet.

"We got you that punching bag and the gym membership for a reason, please use them."

"The bag's too loud and I didn't want to wake you."

"The gym's open 24/7, you have no excuse. Now," she says standing up a smile forming back on her face, "Go eat your lunch before it's over."

He puts his things back into his bag before slipping his jacket on and places the strap on his shoulder as he walks to the door. "Thank you," he says before he walks through the doorway, not stopping for a reply.

He's come a long way with both of his foster parents since their first encounter.

 

* * *

 

_Emmett looks out the window but doesn't really see the trees as they rush passed. He's on his way to a new home. New family. New strangers. The sound of his social worker humming along to the radio in the driver's seat next to him didn't help drown out his thoughts._

_He doesn't want to live in a stupid, small town. He'd begged Ingrid to find somewhere in a city. Somewhere he could just blend in. He's been moved to small towns before and he stood out like a sore thumb. Being the new kid in a city school is just something that happens. In a small town school, however, it becomes an event where gossipers invent back stories to rival Spanish soap operas._

_"It's a really nice place, Emmett," the blonde woman says knocking him out of his thoughts. "Mary Margaret and David are probably the nicest people I've ever had the privilege to talk to." The 'whatever you say' look she receives encourages her to continue. "You know I wouldn't place you somewhere I didn't think you'd like."_

_It was true. Ever since his previous social worker had been fired for taking bribes to ignore abuse and Ingrid had come along the only reasons for him being sent back were caused by him. The last place couldn't deal with his constant fighting with another kid under their care, the last fight resulting in a broken nose for the other boy and bruised ribs for him._

_"They could ride unicorns and shit rainbows for all I care; I want to live in a city. I want to live with August."_

_Ingrid just sighs and places a hand on his shoulder, making brief eye contact before turning back to the road. "I would love for August to be able to take you but he can't look after you. He doesn't have a job and he's only a year older than you are. Emmett, I really think this place will be good for you. The Nolan's haven't fostered anyone before so I'm begging you please make the experience nice for them. They're genuinely nice people and I think they can help you."_

_Emmett just goes back to looking out the window. The trees make way for buildings too short for his liking and he realises just how small this place actually is. They make it to, what he guesses is, the centre of town in several minutes before turning off the high street, making a couple more turns, and stopping outside an apartment building._ _At least that's somewhat familiar, he thinks._

 _He spots a couple waiting outside the main door perking up when they see the minivan stop._ _They do look nice enough. Their smiles actually grow when they see him exit the car, swinging a travel bag onto his shoulder. They start to move closer as Emmett grabs his big main bag out of the trunk._

_He stops when he notices the badge on the man's belt._

_"Oh, hell no." He turns to Ingrid and whisper-shouts, "You didn't tell me he was a cop." The couple stops walking when they see the slightly angry look on Emmett's face._

_"Yes, I did, Emmett. David's the sheriff here and Mary Margaret's at teacher at the high school you'll be attending. Do you listening when I speak?"_

_"Great, now they'll know if I get in trouble wherever I am."_

_"Then don't get into trouble," Ingrid says with a smile, nudging him forward. As much work as Emmett is she really loves him. If she had the time to look after a teenager, she probably would have adopted him by now. He has a persistent sense of humour that can't be stopped no matter what horrors he's had to live through. She just wishes he would open up more and talk about his experiences so someone can help him. Instead, he hides behind a false smile and his wit. No matter how much she loves his humour, it hurts to see him hiding behind it while in pain._

_They meet the Nolan's where the couple had stopped halfway down the apartment building's path._

_"Hi, Emmett," the man says, holding out his hand. "I'm David and this is my wife Mary Margaret. It's nice to finally meet you." Emmett grips the offered hand and hides a wince of pain from his constantly bruised knuckles. They were, as normal, taped up. David notices the bandages and the tight look on the young man's face and pulls back his hand as if he'd just touch a burning stove. "Sorry," he says._

_"It's fine." Emmett waves him off with a well practised, easy smile. He isn't sure how he is going to get them to send him back yet but he has to play nice in front of Ingrid or risk an annoying telling off. "It's nice to meet you. Ingrid's told me lots about you both," he smirks up at the blonde woman who simply rolls her eyes._

_"Which he didn't listen to, so please, tell him about both of yourselves; he'd much rather hear it from the source, wouldn't you Emmett?" she returns with her own smirk as Emmett playfully narrows his eyes slightly at her._

_"Why don't we do that while we show you around?"_

_"Let me-" David says, reaching for the boy's bigger bag. Emmett moves away from the man sharply, his grip on the strap of his bag tightening. David cautiously pulls his hand back with a look of surprise. He turns to his wife before looking at Ingrid. The blonde woman gives him a small apologetic smile, trying to reassure him he hasn't done anything wrong. She places a hand on Emmett's shoulder and they watch him stiffen slightly at the touch._

_"Come on, Emmett," Ingrid says, squeezing his shoulder. "Let's go see your new room."_

_The walk towards the building is awkward but when they start up the stairs, Mary Margaret begins talking about herself and her husband. Emmett gets to hear their jobs again and what they normally do on weekends. Apparently, there's a diner in on Main Street with the best pancakes ever. He just nods and tries not to yawn. He doesn't see why he has to learn anything about them or this town if they're going to send him back in a month or two like everyone else._

_They make it through the door and it's smaller than Emmett had guessed._

_Mary Margaret notices the worried look that crosses his features and places a hand on his shoulder. He flinches away and immediately looks down ashamed. He hates looking weak. Hates feeling it. She drops her hand to her side before saying, "Ah, we got a friend to put some walls up for the bedrooms to give us all some privacy. David, why don't you?" She motions towards the stairs._

_They walk up to the second bedroom leaving Mary Margaret and Ingrid to talk in the kitchen. Emmett's surprised by the size of the room, he looks around with a kind of awe. One double bed. One wardrobe. One kid?_

_"So, this is all mine? No sharing?"_

_"Yep, all yours," David says with a smile. "We left the new wall bare so you can pick a colour for it. I'll take you to the hardware store whenever you want to choose."_

_"Can I put up posters and move stuff around?"_

_"Of course you can, you can do whatever you want. It's your room. Just try not to break anything." The older blond man watches with a smile as Emmett looks around the room. "I'll leave you to put your stuff away."_

_Emmett waits for the door to shut before dropping his bags and falling onto his new bed. He sighs, '_ _another family, another dollar. I just wish I got the money'._


	3. Chapter 3

Ruby can't help but notice that when Belle spots Emmett making his way over to their regular lunch spot, she smiles and releases a sigh of relief. Her own sigh, though, is one of dejection.  _Belle never reacts like that when she sees_ me, she thinks. She knows they're just friends, Emmett has reminded her multiple times, and she believes him but she can't help being jealous of the attention Belle gives him.

"Oh, so he gets an actual smile from you but all I get is a distracted 'hello'," Ruby says with a playful pout. Emmett sits down on the opposite side of Belle for her, besides Jefferson, and responds by sticking his tongue out and smirking before receiving a light slap on his arm by Belle.

"Stop that. Play nice you two." She turns to Ruby. "I'm sorry, come here you idiot," she says while opening her arms for Ruby. She falls into them before looking over Belle's shoulder at Emmett and sticking her tongue out at him.

"Get a room you two," Graham chuckles when the hug lasts longer than normal. They pull away awkwardly, looking down as their cheeks redden and Emmett kicks at Graham's leg. "What?"

Emmett rolls his eyes before trying to change the subject.

"So, anyone had the new teacher, yet?"

"Yeah, Miss Greene: tall, redhead, pretty cute," Graham states with a shrug while checking his phone.

"Hot but kinda strict, though," Ruby chimes in.

Emmett shakes his head when he spots Belle narrowing her eyes at an unsuspecting Ruby. He has no idea how long they've been floating around their feelings for each other but they've been friends since they were kids so who knows. He's been trying to nudge them towards each other and has stopped himself many times from locking them in a room together and shouting 'just fuck already' through the door.

"You guys wanna hang out after school?" Jefferson asks, noticing the look as well. He's met by a chorus of agreements, plus an 'after work' for Ruby.

"Can't," Emmett says and they all look at him. He just shrugs. "It's Wednesday."

"Are you ever gonna tell us what you get up to on Wednesdays?"

"Eh, maybe one day," he says with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"Can't you skip?"

"Nope."

"Shame, I was talking to Regina Mills in the hallway." Emmett's head perks up from digging around in his bag for food. "She said she wanted to catch up so I invited her to join us. Belle said you had an encounter with the Evil Queen in the library," Jefferson says trying to hide his grin.

"'Encounter'? I believe I said 'drooling over'," Belle adds with a smirk, receiving a giggle from the others.

"Oh, ha ha." He shrugs. "She's hot."

"Don't bother, mate," Graham says, looking up from his phone. "There's a reason she's called the Evil Queen. She won't let you anywhere near."

"Dude, I may be a bit of a man whore, but I don't try to get into the pants of every girl I talk to."

They all narrow their eyes at him.

"I said  _not_   _every_ , most but not every," he says trying to defend himself; it's not his fault there are a surprisingly large number of pretty girls in Storybrooke. He may have broken a few hearts before he realised his living situation was more permanent than he'd thought.

"So why were you late for English?" Belle asks, raising an eyebrow.

"How did you-" he shouldn't be surprised, the woman knew him.

"I saw you chatting up Elsa."

"Oh."

"Again? Didn't the slap stop you?" Ruby asks.

"That slap was because I asked her sister out after our date," he says matter-of-factly. "That doesn't mean she doesn't like me." To be honest he didn't even know they were sisters until after the red handprint was left on his cheek.

They shake their heads and Graham just chuckles.

"What about whenever you've finished with whatever the hell you do?" Jefferson tries again.

"I'll try."

 

* * *

 

How was your day, Emmett?" Dr Hopper asks the bored looking blond. Emmett's currently lying on his sofa staring up at the ceiling after sliding into place over the back of the couch.

He shrugs. "Alright." Emmett's still somewhat annoyed that Regina had never turned up at lunch and he hadn't seen her for the rest of the day.  _Hopefully, I can talk to her at the diner_ , he thinks.

"How's your hand?" Emmett raises his eyebrows at him in surprise. "You've been flexing it since you came in. You only do that when it's stiff, which normally happens after you've hurt yourself. What was it this time?"

"Wall."

"Why?"

Emmett groans before rubbing his forehead. "I had a nightmare so I decided to go for a run to try and clear my head." Archie nods along to the explanation having heard it several times before. "It usually works, you know, but I just couldn't shake it. I needed something else to focus on."

"Did you try those techniques we talked about?"

"It wasn't a panic attack."

Hopper nods and hums his understanding before jotting something down in his notepad. Emmett hates when he does that. "What about the gym? The membership was meant to give you a place to distract yourself when things became overwhelming."

"I was too far away. I went there after to shower and change but I wanted to run through the forest. It's where I normally relax-" he cuts himself off growling slightly in the back of his throat at himself. "I don't want to talk about it," Emmett almost snaps his last sentence before Archie can ask a follow-up question.

He shouldn't snap.

The man is probably the best psychiatrist he'd ever talked to, not that there had been many, actually, there had been none. No family had ever forked out money to better his mental state before. They'd relied on school and state funded counsellors, never anyone with the correct degree. Archie's a genuinely good person, good at his job as well. He'd been one of the reasons Emmett finally started to trust the Nolans and Belle.

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"Nothing."

"You know you can do whatever you want to in these sessions." And with that, Dr Hopper pulls a newspaper off the coffee table in front of him and flicks it open.

Emmett just lies there, closing his eyes and trying to block everything out the dream leaking back into his conscious thought.

The impact of the floor.

This is why he doesn't like thinking about it.

Trying to scramble to his feet and slipping.

He attempts to focus on seeing his friends once the hour's up but his mind isn't capable.

The hand coming into contact with his chest.

He rubs his palms over his forehead and into his now scrunched up eyes becoming frustrated.

The stairs.

 _Distraction! Think of a distraction you idiot_ , he shouts in his head.  _Regina_.

"I think I made a new friend today," he says without thinking when his eyes snap open. He furrows his brows,  _friend?_

"Really?" Archie asks calmly after watching Emmett's frustrations from over the top of his paper. He folds his paper back up before dropping it onto the table. Making friends had been hard for Emmett when he'd first arrived. Emmett had truly believed he wouldn't be here long enough for it to matter. Archie had had a meeting with him the second week he'd lived here, before the boy had agreed to actual meetings only a couple of months ago. Archie had found out he'd only ever had three real friends in his life. And one was more of a brother figure while the other two had betrayed him. Trusting was one of Emmett's biggest problems.

"Yeah, her name's Regina."

"Mills? I heard she was back in town. Poor girl." Emmett looks at him with a raised eyebrow, he's about to open his mouth to ask but is waved off. Archie isn't one for gossip. "What do you mean by you  _think_  you made a new friend?"

Emmett doesn't bother pushing the man to answer his unasked question, knowing it wouldn't help so instead says, "Well, I'm not good at being friends with girls, Belle and Ruby are enigmas. Or guys to be honest, apparently they don't like their girlfriends being stolen." He smirks to himself. Graham can be just as bad as he can in that department and Jefferson's gay so their group kind of just works. "And Regina and I kinda flirted but I had a feeling she was holding back so it might have just been friendly banter. Plus, she's looking for a new group of friends to the ones she had before she moved away."

They keep the talk causal until their time is up.  _Sometimes the kid just needs a break_ , Archie thinks as he tries to hide a smile at one of the blond's jokes aimed at a particularly strict teacher.  _I wish he could have moved here sooner_.

 

* * *

 

Emmett crosses the road quickly hoping to say 'hi' to his friends before going home to crash. As much as he wants to spend some time with them outside of school, his sessions take a lot out of him and after barely sleeping last night; he's left exhausted. He smiles and shakes his head at having friends. Yeah, maybe he can only really talk to one of them about deep stuff when he can't handle it on his own anymore but he'd given up on the thought of ever having people he could trust even just a little bit in his life.

He pushes through the door and makes his way to the back booth where he sees Jefferson giggling about something. "Hey," he says when he reaches them and moves around Graham who's sitting on a chair he's pulled up to the booth from another table. He stifles a yawn as they return his greeting and falls into the empty space opposite Belle and Ruby leaning his head on Jefferson's shoulder.

"I'm not staying just thought I'd stop in on my way home."

"I know you got all these girls to please," Graham says with a smirk, "But you gotta sleep more, Em. You look dead."

"Thanks," Emmet mumbles. "I'll take that into consideration. Why-" he's about to ask Jefferson why his shoulder is so comfortable when a throat clears beside him grabbing his attention. He raises his gaze up to the side, finding an amused looking Regina with her arms crossed over her chest and a quirked eyebrow.

"I'm gone for five minutes and you steal my seat." She tuts while shaking her head. "Mother was right about you."

Emmet puts on a playfully offended look and says, "I'll have you know I've stolen nothing… from your mother. But don't worry, Your Majesty," he says with a wink as he stands up into her personal space. He hears a couple of breaths being sucked in behind him and Ruby whispering 'oh, shit'. "I'll return the seat."

"No need," she says leaning around him and bending over to pick up her school bag. "I was just leaving." She straightens up and swings her bag over her shoulder. Emmett's friends release their breaths and he wonders what they were expecting Regina to do. Other than the slight bitchy remark in the library, she'd been perfectly civil to him. How different was she before she left?

"What a coincidence, so was I. May I escort you, milady?" he asks with a smirk, offering his arm to her.

Regina just stares at him, raises an eyebrow, and re-crosses the arms. If you didn't look into her eyes, you would think she's genuinely angry but there's a playful glint that Emmett spots and latches onto.

Emmett raises his hands in mock defence and chuckles. "Sorry, I'll stop. My car's just round the corner, do you want a ride home?"

She hums in consideration. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt," she says before waving over her shoulder at the rest of the group as she walked away. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Later nerds," Emmett says to his friends. He follows Regina and lightly slaps the back of Graham's head as he passes when he notices him watching the brunette walk away. He chuckles when he hears a jealous sounding Graham whisper 'I really hate him sometimes' behind him.

He catches up with Regina where she's stopped for him out of the front of Granny's. "So, I didn't see you at lunch."

"I only told you that I'd think about it," she says with a wicked smirk before they start walking.

"Oh? And you decided to stay with your friends. Let me guess, Kathryn and the rest of the bitches?"

"How did-"

"They're the only group in school that I can think of who'd 'encourage' bitchy behaviour. I actually think it's a requirement to be accepted into their friend group."

"They're not- Okay, yes, they are pretty bad. But they're masters of gossip and they managed to catch me up on a year's worth of information in a single hour. I just have to sort through all the false rumours."

Emmett stops walking and turns to the brunette. "Anything thing interesting about me?" There had been a lot rumours flying around about him. His favourite is the one where he had been in a gang but became an informant for the police and had to be put in witness protection. The bandages on his hands were covering up gang tattoos and if a member of his old gang found him, they'd kill.

"A few. It seems you have a reputation with the ladies."

"Good or bad."

"Depends who you ask." She smirks before furrowing her brow. "Why have we stopped?" she asks, finally realising they'd stopped walking.

He waves his hand behind him. "My car."

"Really? A bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle?" Regina scrunches up her face in disgust. "It's a monstrosity."

Emmett leans over the car pretending to cover its 'ears'. "Ssh," he hisses to Regina before resting his cheek against the roof of his baby. "It's okay, Buggy. She's just jealous." He laughs at the horrified look on Regina's face. "Come on, get in. It's safe, I promise."

Regina appears to be considering it before Emmett gets into the car and with a slight huff, she walks around to the passenger side and slides into her seat with her bag on her lap.

She cringes when she sees the state of the inside of the car. "Ugh," she picks up some of the wrappers littering the dashboard. "Do you ever clean this thing?"

"Of course I do, see?" He takes the rubbish from her and throws it in the back. "Done," he says, flashing her a charming smile. He starts the car and pulls away from the kerb while Regina shifts in her seat, looking around it, hoping there isn't more.

They drive in an almost comfortable silence once Regina's given up her search. Emmett sneaks looks at her, and he's pretty sure she doesn't notice because she staring out the window watching all the familiar but different parts of the town pass by with an odd sense of fondness that seems to leave a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Can I ask you a question?" Emmett asks when the question he's been wanting to ask all day burns too much and he finally breaks.

"Sure, but I might not answer it," she says with an air of nonchalance but he can tell she knows what he's about to ask and isn't very comfortable with it.

"Fair enough. Why'd you move away?"

With a sigh, she says, "My mother and father got a divorce and I moved away with my dad."  _Here comes the real question_ , she thinks. She's dreaded it. Several people have asked it today and she's managed to dance around the answer or lie, but she's been holding it in all day - all week if you count having to be neutral around her mother because 'moping' isn't very ladylike. She just can't take it anymore.  _Maybe he'll understand and it won't change how he's been treating me_ , she thinks.  _Daniel's been great but he just treats me as if I could break at any moment. No different from usual, I guess_.

"Not that I'm complaining but why'd you move back? It's just Jefferson said you were living in Boston. I've lived there a couple of times, and there's a lot more to do there."

Thinking about how to say the next part or to even say it at all. She isn't sure she could even say it if she wanted to because of the lump forming in her throat. She clutches on to her bag with one hand and wraps a secure arm around the waist. "Daddy died of a heart attack," she manages to push out even though her voice cracks and she wants to cry.

"Oh, Regina, I'm sorry." He wasn't expecting that. He pulls the car over and turns in his seat. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he attempts to comfort her but he's never been good at finding the right words in times like these so they're silent for a while as Regina forces herself back behind a mask.

Wiping away a stray tear and taking a deep breath, she looks straight ahead and lets her face drop into indifference. "I had to move back here, with my mother."

Emmett removes his hand when he realises it's not welcome anymore, now that Regina's walls are back up. "I've never had to lose an actual parent before but I had this amazing foster dad that died in the army. I know it's not the same," he shrugs completely unsure what to do, "But if you ever want to talk…" he trailed off.  _Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut_ , he thinks to himself.

Emmett had never been any use at comforting people. He'd always find someone else to help with the hugging and helpful words. If foster siblings were crying, he'd feel useless unless he was actually fixing their problems, which normally involved dealing with bullies or crappy foster parents.

"Thank you," she says and while it's genuine, it's still clipped and Emmett knows the conversation is over. He turns back in his seat and there's silence for a moment before he drives off.

"You said you'd see Belle and that lot tomorrow. Are you joining us for lunch, then?" he asks as they pull up outside 108 Mifflin Street. Since he's not very good with the feelings side, maybe he can offer her a distraction.

"Yes, I-" she cuts herself off. "Daniel?" she asks in a barely there whisper.

"What-"

She's out of the car before he can finish his question, her bag left behind on her seat to help her move faster. "Daniel!" she calls a smile spreading across her face. A blond man, maybe a year or two older than them, turns from where he's leaning against the jeep parked in front of them.

"Regina!" the blond exclaims and runs towards Regina. He wraps his arms around her, almost lifting her off the ground.

 _A boyfriend_ , Emmett thinks to himself with a humourless chuckle. "Great."


	4. Chapter 4

Emmett pulls himself out of his car and settles himself against the open doorway, relaxing his arms on the roof. He clears his throat when he realises Regina's too distracted by the other man's lips to remember Emmett's still there.  _Now I can't get the girl_ , he thinks to himself _, should I mess with this guy instead?_

"Oh." She pulls away, lightly clearing her throat as she briefly covers her mouth to hide the slight red tint to her cheeks. "Emmett this is Daniel," she says glancing at Emmett as she rests a hand on her boyfriend's chest. She turns back to Daniel, using her thumb to wipe some of her lipstick off his lips. "Daniel this is Emmett."

"Hey." Daniel smiles but narrows his eyes slightly as he reaches his hand over the roof of the bug. "I don't think Regina's ever mentioned you before."

Emmett meets him halfway, gives the other man's hand a firm grip, and receives a firmer than needed squeeze in return. "It would be impressive if she had," he says without being able to resist a smirk and crunching Daniel's knuckles.

They pull their hands back and Daniel makes a show of wrapping his arm around Regina's waist, discretely flexing his other hand. Regina rolls her eyes, noticing full on overprotective-boyfriend mode being engaged.

 _Oh,_ Emmett thinks _, I'm gonna have fun screwing with this guy. He should really trust his girlfriend more._

"Huh?" Daniel creases his brow slightly.

"We just met today. So, Gina," he turns back to the brunette with a charming grin, "Will I see you at lunch tomorrow, then?"

Daniel visible tightens his grip on his girlfriend. Regina shakes her head as she notices the teasing glint in Emmett's eye. Daniel would be almost the perfect boyfriend if he just didn't get so jealous all the time. Regina is just a natural flirt, sometimes she doesn't even realise she's doing it, and Daniel just needs to trust her. Maybe understand he doesn't have to protect her all the time would be nice, as well.

"Yes, it was nice catching up with Jefferson."

Emmett doesn't miss the slight narrowing of her eyes, warning him to stop the game. He concedes. "Why didn't you just stay at the diner? They normally hang out there for another hour or two."

"Mother likes me home in time for dinner."

"Yeah, and we should get moving if you don't want to be late,  _babe_ ," Daniel adds, trying to pull her away from the conversation.

Regina glances down at her watch before looking back up. "You're right, five more minutes and she'll be snippy all night. Though, I'm sure your presence will manage that all on its own, dear."

"Uh oh, mother doesn't like the boyfriend, huh? Image if you brought me home," Emmett comments lightly with a chuckle as he ducks back into his car and grabs the brunette's bag. "Here," he places it on the roof, "Can't forget this."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Emmett," Regina says with a huff as she already being gently pulled away to the mansion.

"Yeah, bye Emmett," Daniel clips through a strained smile.

"It was nice meeting you, Daniel. And I'll see ya tomorrow, Gina." He gets back into his car and slumps down into his seat. "Lucky bastard," he murmurs under his breath as he starts his engine and pulls away.

 

* * *

 

"That was rude and embarrassing, Daniel." Regina stops on the walkway as soon she hears Emmett's bug pull away.

"What?" Daniel shrugs trying to defuse the situation and the conversation he knew was coming by playing dumb.

"Don't 'what' me. You know what you were doing."

"I'm sorry, but he was flirting with you, right in front of me. I was just trying to protect you from him."

"I do not need protection." She takes a calming breath, leaving the anger behind and coming to the root of the problem. "Do you not trust me to stop it before it goes too far?"

"I think him flirting with you in the first place is too far," he mutters, not quite understanding what he did wrong.

"Do you not get it?" And, from the clueless look on his face, he did not. "He saw how protective you were being right from the handshake and was teasing you because of it, trying to get a rise out of you."

"Why would he do that?"

"Maybe because it was so easy," she says under her breath as she runs fingers through her hair.

"What?"

She sighs. "Nothing, Daniel. I just wish you'd stop treating me like a princess that needs rescuing, I can handle myself. I can also end my own conversations for myself and would appreciate not being dragged away."

"You're right. I might have gone too far at the end, I'm sorry, baby."

She takes another breath. A _nd the beginning_ , she thinks to herself but lets it go. "It's alright, sweetheart. Just please relax."

"I will. I promise." He leans down and places a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Now, let's go see if you're welcome for dinner."

 

* * *

 

Hey," Emmett calls as he opened the front door.

"Hey, kid," David replies in a low voice from the kitchen and throws a smile over his shoulder.

"Why are you cooking?" he asks, plopping his bag on the stairs to his room before laying his jacket next to it. He moves to sit at the table after grabbing some homework out of his bag. "We only let you make breakfast because not even you can burn cereal and crispy bacon is nice. You're also weirdly good at making pancakes."

"Ha ha," David deadpans before smiling slightly. He takes some plates out of the cupboard and walks over to the table to put them down. As he makes his way back passed Emmett, he ruffles his hair and softly chuckles when the mass of wavy blonde flops down into his son's face. "You need a haircut before we lose you under it."

Emmett swats his hand away playfully. "I was gonna ask Mary Margaret to cut it again after dinner. Where is she?"

"She's tired after the appointment. She's taking a nap."

"Oh," Emmett says quietly and pauses to turn to look at the door to his foster parent's bedroom. "Is err… is everything okay?"

"They're both healthy; she's just tired from being on her feet all day. So, I might be cooking dinner more often." Emmett groans and David chuckles. "You're always welcome to cook."

"Unless you want instant noodles or toast you better take that offer back."

"Noted."

 

* * *

 

Emmett watches David move around the kitchen for a while before looking back down at his work. Talking with David has become a lot easier over the last couple of months. He'd realised they weren't going to throw him away no matter what he did. He'd settled down a lot and had stopped causing trouble on purpose after he and David had had a forced heart to heart.

_Emmett slams his car door shut before kicking it. "Fucking piece of shit," he yells, bashing the side of his fist down onto the roof. He takes a couple of breaths trying to calm himself and turns his head to look at the sign at the town line. "Couldn't have just taken me a little bit further?" He kicks the tire closest to him._

_If he were thinking clearly, he knew he could just take his bag and start walking to the next town over. Although, leaving his bug would hurt he couldn't stay here anymore. It can't be that far. He had had to take a couple of buses to Boston to pick up his car that Ingrid doesn't know about and he doesn't remember the ride to the town taking too long. He can probably be there before people started waking up. But no, he isn't thinking. He's angry and he's hurting. And he just wants to hit things and take a moment to process before moving again._

_A part of him wishes he were just angry._

_And, maybe a part of him doesn't really want to leave._

_But, there's also a part that wishes he never came here to begin with._

_He's been stupid for thinking they want him. Why the hell would anyone want him? His own goddamn parents didn't want him. Why would anyone willing take him in? He had finally started thinking that he was wrong for causing them so much trouble, that they really wanted him no matter what he did. Finally, someone hadn't given up on him. He has friends, he's doing better in school, and causing less angry phone calls to the Sheriff's department. It was going to happen all over again. They are going to send him back because they'll have something better._

_But you can't send back what isn't there._

_He raises his head from its position resting on the roof of his car and he's just about to grab his pre-packed duffle bag from his boot when he spots headlights bouncing towards him in the distance. He was expecting them to notice him missing until morning but the moon reflecting off the car shows the police markings._

_Emmett hangs his head between his shoulders. "Fucking car," he whispers, all contempt leaving his voice. No fight left._

_The engine cuts out once it's behind Emmett's car and a couple moments later David steps out, putting his phone back into his pocket. Emmett sighs before pushing away from where he's leaning against the car's door and moves to sit on its bonnet to wait for David._

_They're both silent as David settles beside Emmett and runs his fingers through his short hair._

_"What happened?" David asks after a while._

_"Guess."_

_"The baby, obviously, but you seemed happy for us. Shocked, but happy."_

_"I am happy for you." Emmett's shoulders sag. He really is happy for them. They'll make great parents. "It's just… I know what the parents having real kids means for the foster kid."_

_"I'm sorry, Emmett, I'm not following."_

_Emmett's shakes his head in frustration. It was obvious to him. He had seen it enough. Lived it enough. Real kids are better than foster kids; that's just how it works. All the kids he'd grown up with knew that; especially the real kids. They used it to their advantage regularly._

_And while maybe David doesn't understand now, he certainly will when the baby comes._

_"After I was given up by my real parents, I was put into the foster system. I had a family until I was three." Emmett steals a glance at David and sees the surprise on his face. He doesn't like telling this story, it reaffirms that nobody wants him, but he wants David to comprehend what's happening._

_"What happened?" David finally manages to stutter out._

_Emmett looks down at the road. "They had a kid of their own and sent me back."_

_David opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. After a while, he collects himself and asks in almost a whisper, "How could they do that? I can't even imagine how that must have felt for you."_

_Emmett shrugs, trying not to think too much about it. "I don't remember much, but I know I didn't understand what was happening at first. It took me almost a year to finally realise they weren't coming back for me."_

_"We would never do that to you," David states with so much conviction that a little bit of Emmett starts to believe him._

_"Foster parents do it all the time," Emmett spits. He shakes away the stupid notion. No one's ever followed through on their promises to him. "And if they already have kids they treat you like lesser."_

_David sighs. "I don't know how to make you believe me other than by showing you. But, Emmett, we want you… we think of you as our son. I can't promise that you will always come first because a baby is a lot of work and will take up a lot of our time. We're probably might even need your help." David pauses for a moment to look at Emmett; he could tell he hadn't quite gotten through to him yet._

_"When I read the note you left on the table that you were leaving, I was scared that I wouldn't catch up to you. I don't think I've ever been that scared before. Just the thought of not being a part of your life, not seeing you grow up. You being out there on your own…" he trails off not wanting to think about it again. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and brings up the texts between him and his wife. He hands the phone over to Emmett._

**_David: Just called the station, my deputies are out looking around town. I'm gonna drive to the next town._ **

**_MM: I called Belle. She hasn't seen him._ **

**_David: Found him!_ **

**_MM: Is he all right? Bring him home._ **

_"She was so scared when I woke her and told her."_

_Emmett hands the phone back and tries to discreetly wipe away tears._

_"When I saw you standing here, against your car, I was so happy that I had to get up and pee tonight."_

_Emmett lets out a short, wet laugh, unable to hold back the sudden surge. He holds his hand over his mouth, trying to regain his composure and his smile._

_They sit in comfortable silence, Emmett needing a few moments to think and David giving it to him._

_"Come on," David finally says, pushing off the bug's bonnet. "If we don't hurry, Mary Margaret will come here and drag you back herself."_

_Emmett follows his lead, locking up his car as he passes it._

_"I'm happy you stopped," David says._

_"I didn't."_

_David stops to look at him._

_"My car broke down," Emmett says sheepishly._

_David looked at Emmett expressionless before bursting into laughter. "I told you. I'm surprised it's lasted this long without conking out."_

_Emmett tries to hide his grin as they made their way to David's cruiser. "Hey, that car will never fully die. The only living things after a nuclear apocalypse will be cockroaches and my beautiful bug."_

_David smiles at Emmett over the top of his car before he opens his door. "Whatever you say, I'll call a tow truck to pick it up when we get home."_

_Emmett watches David take his seat behind the steering wheel and pull the door shut. He spares a glance back at his car. "Home, huh?"_

 

* * *

 

"I'm happy my car broke down."

David pauses what he's doing and turns his head to see Emmett looking down at his homework but not doing it. The man smiles to himself before turning back to continue cooking, not sure where Emmett's head is at but understanding his words.

"Food will be ready soon, kid."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W Nightmares I guess...

David blinks into darkness with a sigh; unsure what woke him. He turns to his wife when his eyes adjust to the small amount to light filtering in through the gaps in the curtain. She's curled up facing away from him, the corner of the cover tucked up under her chin. A small smile graces his lips when he sees she's still fast asleep. He shifts onto his opposite side and props himself on his elbow about to reach for the cup of water on his bedside table when he hears sobbing from upstairs.

His shoulders slump as he recognises the sound that must have woken him up, as it has done multiple times before. He rolls out of bed and once again checks that Mary Margaret is still sleeping while making his way to the bedroom door.

"Stop!"

The shout jolts him into motion; his movements much faster now that Emmett's distress level seems to have increased. He hears Mary Margaret moving to follow him as he exits the door. He reaches the stairs and takes them three at a time, using the railings to pull himself up quicker. He calms himself down when he gets to Emmett's door and opens it gently. As he steps inside, the lights in the main part of the apartment turn on behind him, illuminating the room in front of him enough to see what's happening.

Emmett's covers are at the end of his bed, half of them hanging over the footboard. Emmett himself is still at the top of the bed, his eyes screwed tightly shut. He seems to be using his arms and legs to violently and frantically shove something off him; sobs breaking through his heavy breathing.

"Please," he whimpers when it doesn't work and he tries to turn his head into his pillow; arms motionless by his head but legs still moving weakly.

David walks towards the bed, keeping his movements relaxed and gentle. Another shadow moves over the room, and he looks over his shoulder to find his wife's worried face. She doesn't move into the room, though, her close presence after Emmett wakes up makes him agitated. So she just shifts in the doorway to allow more light in before settling her hands over her growing belly. He gives her what he hopes is a reassuring smile but he knows with his heart hurting from the sounds and scene before him he couldn't display more than a grimace. He turns back to the bed and kneels beside Emmett. He reaches for his son's shoulder with one hand as he lifts his other in front of his face–he'd learnt from the first couple of times; trying to wake Emmett during a nightmare could hurt.

"Em," he says, forcing his voice to sound calm, and softly shakes Emmett.

Emmett shifts onto his side facing David; his eyes shut as tightly as possible as he buries his face fully into his pillow.

David moves his hand to the boy's other shoulder and tries again, putting a bit more force into it this time but making sure not to increase his grip. "It's okay. You're safe, Emmett. Wake up."

Emmett's movements change, as if he's realised there's nothing there but still feels the need to push whatever had been there away. One arm moves up over his face as he opens his eyes and turns his face away from the pillow.

Glaze taking it's time to fade away until he finally sees David.

"Dad?" Emmett asks through a tight throat, mind still half asleep as he shifts into a sitting position. Sometimes it takes him a little while to fully wake up and understand it's been a dream.

"I'm here, son." David slowly pushes himself up to sit on the edge of Emmett's bed. Emmett drops his forehead onto his chest and he immediately wraps his arms around the boy's shoulders; Emmett's arms stay limp by his sides as his whole body shakes. Emmett had stopped making noises while he cries when awake long ago but David felt a wet patch form on his white tank.

David gradually releases his grip on Emmett as his breathing becomes normal. He looks over his shoulder when he feels the bed dipping behind and sees Mary Margaret giving him a sad smile. He watches as she avoids touching Emmett. The younger blond had always seemed jumpier around Mary Margaret than with others and never liked being touched by her when he hadn't realised she was there. Well, he's never liked being touch by anyone when he hasn't realised they're there but there's always a moment of panic flashing behind his eyes when it's her, the moment has gotten shorter and shorter over time, but it was still there.

Emmett sniffs and sits against the headboard, briefly making eye contact with both of them before looking down at his lap embarrassed. "Sorry," Emmett says after clearing his throat.

"It's okay," Mary Margaret reassures with a gentle smile as she softly places a hand on Emmett's ankle. "How about some hot chocolates?"

David looks at the alarm clock on the bedside table the same time Emmett does but before he can agree with his wife, Emmett interrupts him.

"No." Emmett shakes his head. "It's 5am, go back to sleep. I'm fine. I'll go for a run or something." David watches Emmett as he realises his hair is wet from sweat and slicks back his normally wavy hair.

"Emmett, go take a shower while we get breakfast started." David stands, helps his wife up and they're out the door before Emmett can think of something to say.

 

* * *

 

 

Emmett stands in the shower, letting the cold water fall over him. He'd finished washing a little while ago but doesn't feel like facing the world just yet. He feels guilty for not telling them what the nightmares entail. He doesn't want them worrying; especially Mary Margaret, worry and lack of sleep can't be good for her and the baby. He's not sure whether what they're imagining is better or worse than what is actually involved.

If he says something, and all they were thinking were the one shitty, abusive foster family then telling them the truth will just make things worse for them.

He runs his fingers through his freshly cut-that-night hair before tracing them over the newly revealed scar that slices into the shorter side just about his left ear. It's become a reflex, most of the time he doesn't even realise he's following the thin silver line.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he gets out of the shower. He towels himself off while looking in the mirror and gives it the best smile he can muster until it somewhat believes him. He re-bandages his knuckles, covering up the scars and yesterdays broken skin, as he tries to make himself believe his grin.

He ruffles the towel over his hair and watches as some of the wet darkness fades and his natural 'princess blonde', as Ruby calls it—he prefers Belle's 'surfer dude'–gradually returns. He takes as long as he can to get dressed in the clothes he'd brought in with him, before letting out another sigh and opening the door.

"Hey," Mary Margaret notices him first. She pushes a mug of hot chocolate towards him from where she's perched on a stool at the island watching her husband cook pancakes. "Just in time," she says with a comforting, motherly smile.

Emmett huffs out a chuckle through his nose as he settles onto the stool next to her and takes a sip of his drink. "Thank you," he hums at the tang of cinnamon; Mary Margaret really did make the best hot chocolate.

"Want to talk about it?" David asks.

"Nope. I'm fi-"

"Okay," Mary Margaret cuts in, "But this is the second night you've had a nightmare, is there anything we can do?"

Emmett sighs and scratches at the nonexistent stubble on his cheek, "You're both doing all I need you to do." He looks down at his drink before he continues, "You're being my parents. You treat me like an adult, you give me space and you don't lie to me." Mary Margaret and David share a look that he misses. "You wake me up and keep me safe from my nightmares," Emmett finishes with a shrug.

David sniff and Mary Margaret wipes her eye with one hand while lightly hitting her husband's arm with the other.

"Don't cry," she says. "You know if you cry, I cry."

Emmett rolls his eyes.

"Pancakes."

"What?" David asks, trying to discreetly wipe his eyes.

"You're gonna burn the pancakes."

"Oh, shit!"

"David!"

A crop of blonde hair catches Regina's eye as she makes her way out for lunch with her new friends, and old friend Jefferson. She follows Emmett out towards the field and is about to call him when he turns right, away from where everyone eats lunch, to make his way to the back of the school that faces the forest. She hesitates for a moment before curiosity gets the better of her and she follows him.

She peers around the corner of the building and spots him dropping his bag on the ground before practically falling after it. She watches him for a moment as he settles down, using his bag as a pillow.

"You're going to wake up with your shoes missing," she says walking towards him.

"Ha, just can't keep away, eh?" Emmett grins and cracks open an eye just in time to see her stop next to him.

She shrugs with an easy nonchalance and says, "Just never seen a student fall asleep at school outside of class."

"Oh, so I'm special."

"You're very special, Emmett," Regina confirms in her very best baby voice.

Emmett chuckles it turns into a yawn halfway through.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine," his smiles drops, "just a shit couple of nights."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"No, it's okay." His grin is back in place. He sits up and pats the ground next to him as he leans against the school's brick work. He raises an eyebrow before asking, "If Her Majesty can sit on the floor, that is?"

She huffs and rolls her eyes but then looks at the ground, thinking about the possible grass stains on her jeans.

"Oh, for God's sake-" Emmett removes his leather jacket before laying it on the ground next to him. "Better?"

She settles onto the leather as gracefully as possible, only noticing after how close he'd put his jacket to himself. She tries to subtly shift away so their shoulders aren't touching and she can't feel his heat.

"So, was boyfriend allowed to dine with Madam Mayor and her beautiful daughter?"

"He was." Regina lets her legs out in front of her and crosses them at the ankles, smiling when they catch Emmett's attention. "I think mother," she starts again, slightly louder than before, and smirks when Emmett's eyes snap up to meet hers, "Saw your ugly car drop me off and thought Daniel was the better option."

"Ouch, double burn. I thought it was dads that were meant to scare off potential boyfriends."

Regina goes stiff, her mind sinking back into itself at the thought of her dad.

"Shit, sorry," Emmett apologises, and Regina can see the panic of hurting her in his eyes and how much he means his apology. "I guess your mum's scary enough on her own," Emmett tries with an awkward chuckle as he fiddles with the bandages on his knuckles.

And Regina appreciates the quick change of subject. "Who said anything about a 'potential boyfriend'?" Regina easily brings back the playful banter with a teasing smile. Everything just seems easy around Emmett. The relaxing sensation he instils in her and his lack of judgement about anything makes him a very easy person to be around.

They keep the talk light for the rest of lunch, and Regina doesn't dread living back in Storybrooke as much and Emmett doesn't feel quite as exhausted as before.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes, this was done in a bit of a rush.

Emmett grumbles to himself as he shuffles around Mary Margaret's classroom. His detention consists of cleaning the room while his foster mother marks papers and absently strokes her pregnant belly.

"There," he says, finishing piling the previously scattered textbooks on the counter along the side of the room. "Anything else?"

Her eyes scan the room: chairs on desks, books haphazardly tossed are stacked neatly, all loose bits of rubbish cleared and in the bin. "Looks good," she says with a quick look at her watch. "I want to cook dinner before David gets home, today. That man could burn salad." She shakes her head affectionately.

Emmett snorts out a laugh and helps Mary Margaret up, out of her seat. She's not so big yet that it's necessary but she'd been complaining about her back lately. She sorts her student's work into a pile, putting it in a plastic box to take home to finish marking. Emmett picks it up before she can even think about it.

They walk to the car park in a comfortable silence, Emmett shoving the box onto the seat of the truck before helping Mary Margaret up, behind the steering wheel; letting her push her weight on his arm and shoulder. He's about to walk back around to the passenger side when he sees Regina leaving the school gate.

"Regina," he calls. She turns and his heart nearly stops when she smiles at him. "Wait up?" She stays where she'd stopped. He turns back to Mary Margaret. "I'll meet you back at home?" He takes off jogging at her nod, holding his bag still at his side.

"Be home for dinner, please. Your father and I have to talk to you about."

 _Ominous_ , he thinks, but replies with an acknowledgment wave over his shoulder. "Will do." The reality that she'd called David his father doesn't hit him until he hears her start the truck, but the word doesn't scare him as it used to. In fact, he rather likes it, but he would never admit it to anyone—maybe Archie, maybe Belle, too, one day. He tries to suppress his grin at the thought.

"What're you doing at school so late?" he asks when he reaches Regina.

"Just talking with teachers about the curriculum and clubs, you?" They start walking.

"Belated detention." Her head tilts in cute confusion. "Didn't show up for the last one," he explains.

"Sounds about right, for you, dear."

"I'm glad I didn't go."

"Oh… and why is that?"

"I wouldn't have met you in the library if I had." He smirks at her eye roll and the way her lips quirk up briefly in the corners. It's started to feel like her way of showing affection towards him.

They walk in silence for a moment before curiosity gets the better of him. "Can I ask you a question?" He thinks back to the first time he'd asked that, and quickly adds, "You obviously don't have to answer it…"

She stiffens; if this question was anything like the first one he'd felt the need ask permission for, she wasn't sure if she wants to hear it. But she nods, she can refuse, and she feels comfortable that Emmett won't pressure her for an answer. Emmett seems to understand the need for privacy on personal things and confident enough not to feel self-conscious about someone not trusting him with an answer. Daniel always gets weird and awkward around her after she refuses to tell him something she feels is too private, which seems to be happening more and more lately.

"What was your dad like?"

Regina scrunches her eyebrows up; she hadn't expected that. "What...?"

"It's just you went with him instead of staying with your mum after the divorce. It's normally the other way round, though I don't blame you leaving your mum. I couldn't image the Mayor being with someone like… but you seemed to really…" He's rambling, he knows. He sighs. "I was just curious about what he was like." When she stops and stares at him, he adds, "I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have asked. Just ignore me."

They stand there in silence while Regina seems to stare into nothing.

"Daddy was the kindest person I know." Emmett jumps slightly, not expecting her to answer. "He used to own the stables just outside of town. He'd bought it after the last owner had died and it'd basically been abandoned. He bought it because I was obsessed with horses; the thought of the horses being sold off and separated made me cry." She chuckles to herself. "When he'd told me what he'd done, the grin didn't leave my face for a week." Emmett smiles at the thought of an excited, little Regina bouncing around with joy.

She sobers. "He was the type of person to stay in a broken marriage for the sake of his child." She sighs at the wasted years. "I'd wanted to be like her, mother, I mean. She was confident and powerful, and she didn't let anything faze her. After the divorce, after we left, I finally saw the effect she'd had on him. He was only 46, but he looked so old and tired. She'd worn him down with her little power plays, constantly putting him down, all the negativity she'd spat at him. But he'd shielded me from that, grinned and bore it.

"He'd stayed with her because of me. He'd believed that everything she'd been doing was for my benefit. She'd said it a million times, 'Regina, everything I do is for you.' But after-" she cuts herself off. "But there was only so much until he couldn't believe her anymore and took me away. I just wish we'd left sooner, maybe his heart would have-" Tears have been trailing down her cheeks for a while. Her voice growing weaker and more strained as she continued, but once she'd started, she just couldn't stop until she finally broke into sobs.

Emmett moves before he can over think and put his foot in his mouth like last time. He wraps his arms around her. Her fists clench the sides of his shirt, under his jacket. Face buried in his chest, feeling his strength, she allows herself to lean into him, letting someone else keep her standing for once. When he feels her relax, he rests his cheek against the top of her head.

She doesn't cry for long. She takes control herself before it can devolve into blubbering—which she doesn't even let herself do when she's alone, even when she can't take it anymore—but she stays where she is, wrapping her arms around his waist. More comfort than she's felt for what's felt like forever.

"He sounded like an amazing dad, an amazing man. I'm a bit sad I never got to meet him."

Regina lets out a wet chuckle. "I think he would have liked you."

"Really?" he pulls back to ask with a smile.

"Daddy had a rather mischievous sense of humour." She wipes away her tear tracks—luckily she's wearing waterproof mascara and that Emmett's t-shirt is black. "He liked making people who took themselves too seriously look like fools without them even noticing." They both smile at the thought. They start moving again, continuing to Mifflin Street in silence, Regina walking closer than before.

"I really am happy I skipped my detention."

"I'm sure all the pretty girls are saddened by all the attention you've been giving me since."

Emmett steps around in front of her, and Regina almost walks into his chest. She startles slightly at the quick movement, and he makes a note not to do that again. He often forgets how threatening his stature can be now he's not that skinny, weak kid.

"None as pretty as you," he says, smile gone, face completely serious.

She huffs, and the roll of her eyes doesn't quite feel as affectionate this time.

"How many have you said that to?" She smiles mockingly but looks down, avoiding his eyes.

He puts a finger under her chin and gently guides her to look at him. He gives her a smile, a real smile that met his eyes. And she stares, finally able to see behind his protective persona of a carefree slacker.

He has no idea what he's doing. She's only been in his life for a few days. He doesn't seem to have a working impulse control around this woman. He feels no need to hide and protect himself with her. It's a weird feeling. He's only ever felt it this completely with three other people. Two of them screwed him over when he most needed them, but the other is his brother in all but blood.

From what Emmett has learned, there are only two types of people in this world. Those you can trust and those you can't.

Emmett wants to flip that coin with Regina, not yet, maybe, but he wants to know what type of person she is.

"I have never met anyone as beautiful as you." His hand moves to cup her jaw and she doesn't step away. "Your smile is blinding when you let it be. Your wit is so sharp I'm sure it could cut me if I ever got on the wrong side of it. You're so smart and perceptive it feels like you seem to see right through my practiced, fake smile. And your eyes…" he trails off with a chuckle and a shake of the head, trying to find the right words. "Your eyes have this strength and determination I've never seen before."

They look at each other neither saying anything but neither moving.

A car door slams besides them.

"Regina!"

She jumps and Emmett drops his hand.

"What the fuck?" Daniel pushes Emmett away from his girlfriend.

Emmett raises his hands in surrender and willingly takes a few steps back; his face tight and annoyed. He doesn't want a fight; he's sure Regina wouldn't appreciate one.

"We're leaving." Daniel turns back to Regina, voice practically growling. "Get in the car."

"Not when you're this angry." Regina stands her ground.

"Fine, but we're still leaving." He grips her upper arm and tries to tug her away.

Emmett sees Regina's subtle wince and the grit of her teeth.

"Let her go," he demands. "You're hurting her."

Daniel releases his hold and looks at her somewhat apologetically. But his anger hasn't left him. His fists clench at his sides as he turns to Emmett.

"Don't come near my girlfriend, ever again." He forcefully jabs a pointed finger into Emmett's chest before leading Regina away, leaving his car awkwardly parked by the kerb.

Emmett watches them leave and lets out a deep sigh.  _Could I get David to give Daniel a parking ticket?_

 

* * *

 

Emmett enters the loft on heavy feet. He looks up from closing the door and sees two fidgety foster parents. He remembers the 'talk' Mary Margaret mentioned and knows he's not going to be able to go sulk in his room alone.

"Hey, kid," David starts. "Could you sit for a bit? We need to ask you something."

He falls back onto the sofa and David and Mary Margaret take a seat on the coffee table in front of him. This was starting to feel really serious. He sat up straighter.

"We've been thinking about something for a while." Mary Margaret takes point, and Emmett's stomach drops.  _This is it_ , he thinks. He did it, he broke them; the best foster parents anyone could ever have. They don't want him anymore. He wonders what finally pushed them over the edge. Nothing came to mind. "After what you said last night… this morning, we think you're comfortable enough with us. We…" she trails off, looking at her husband.

"We want to adopt you… If you want us, that is." The smile David gives is both reassuring and nervous.

Emmett's mouth falls open.

"It's 100 % your choice."

"We want you to be our son, officially. We want this little one," David smiles and rubs his wife's belly, "To have you as a big brother."

Emmett stays silent, unable to form words. 'We want you,' ringing in his head.

"We know that you're almost 18-" Mary Margaret starts.

"And we've told you before that'll you'll be welcome in our home after you've 'age out of the system'. That still applies, even if you say no," David finishes.

It was impressive watching them rambling together; finishing each other's thoughts aloud. He wants to end their suffering, but he can't give them an answer, yet.

"Can I think about it?"

 

* * *

 

Emmett sighs as he closes his bedroom door behind him. He had just sat through an awkward dinner of his foster parents talking about their days to cover up the silence and unanswered question hanging over all of them.

He falls onto his bed and groans into his covers when his phone rings. He tugs it out of his pocket and smiles at the contact picture. He rolls onto his back and answers.

"Hey, Belle. I was actually just gonna call-"

"Emmett," Belle sniffles into the phone.

"Belle." He sits up. "What's wrong?"

"Can you come over, please?" she practically begs.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way. I'll be there in 5 minutes."

"Thanks." She hangs up and Emmett stares at his phone for a while.

"What the fuck is going on today?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W: Mentions of abuse and homophobia.
> 
>  
> 
> I told myself that I'd have at least one Regina/Emmett interaction in each chapter, but it just didn't seem to happen.  
> I held on to this chapter for a really long time because I hated it and I still don't like it all that much after editing it but I can't figure out how to fix it and you guys deserve something so...  
> I also attempted NaNoWriMo with an original idea last year so that got me distracted. Sorry, I know I'm already shit at updating.

Regina watches Daniel pace from her perch on the living room sofa. Her mother is out somewhere, probably on a 'date' with her secret boyfriend. Just the thought of it made her shudder.

"Were you going to kiss him?" Daniel punctuates the question by stopping and turning on her.

"No."

"Were you going to let him kiss you if he had tried?" He walks up to her, looming over her where she's sat.

"No," she lies.

"Damn it, Regina." He starts pacing again. "I don't believe you. What were you two talking about?"

Regina pauses. "I-"

"What were you talking about?" he shouts, stopping.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me." She stands; she keeps her voice low, but with a threatening edge.

He takes a calming breath. "Then answer my question, please," he begs.

Regina sighs and sits back down. She knows her answer is just going to make the whole situation worse. So she dodges, kind of. "He was complimenting me." She's not lying.

"Complementing you? It looked like you'd been crying. Will you just be honest with me, please?"

"We were talking about my father." She sighed.

"What?" His face dropped. He looked heartbroken. "But… I've been trying to get you to talk about him since his death. You've known this guy, for what, 3 days? And you just blurt it out to him."

"I did not just blurt it out. You keep asking about how I feel about his death. You've never once asked about him; what he was like."

"Because I know what he was like. I knew him."

"No, you didn't." She was back on her feet, jabbing a finger at his chest, other hand clenched by her side. "You met him, yes, but you didn't know him. You keep going on and on about how I should talk to you about how I feel but you don't understand. I don't want to keep reliving his death, Emmett asked me about his life. I just wanted to share a part of him with someone who understands."

Daniel had never lost anyone close to him, and he was lucky for it, but it meant that he had no idea how to deal with what was happening. She shouldn't be holding it against him but she can't help it when he keeps pushing her.

"I don't understand? Regina, I've watched you go through this. I've been there every step of the way; holding you as you cried, trying to get you to open up."

"That's the problem."

"What? Trying to help you?" he spits the question.

"Being there. You're a reminder." Her eyes widen when she realises what she's said. She watches her words physically affect Daniel; he takes a step back, mouth opening and closing, trying to form a response.

"I'm a reminder?" he whispers.

She's tried to make this work. She'd been so happy to see Daniel when he'd first arrived; having someone close around that wasn't her mother was something she dearly needed. But he brought unwanted memories along with his, sometimes suffocating, protectiveness.

But she looks up at him and she sighs.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." She tries to calm him down by rubbing his biceps. "I don't know what I'm saying." She can't break up with him. Not right now. She needs to think, really think. "I just need you to back off a little bit, please. You keep trying to get me to tell you things I don't want to share. You keep going on and on and I can't take it right now."

"What?"

"I love you, Daniel. But I need a break."

"No…"

"I'm sorry, Daniel. Please, don't-"

Daniel grits his teeth and swallows the lump in his throat. The door slams behind him as he leaves.

Regina just wants to slump down onto the sofa but she doesn't know when her mother will return; she can't bear another telling off for crying over someone who was below her. So she makes herself walk up the stairs, down the hallway, and finally through her door before closing it behind her. She falls onto her bed and curls around her knees brought up to her chest; her sobs silent from years of practice.

She feels selfish. Daniel can be an idiot at times, but he is a good man who truly cares for her when no one else does. But his care isn't what she needs. She doesn't know what she needs; she just knows it didn't quite feel right with him anymore. She had been so close to kissing Emmett. And everything with him had been easy, moments of freedom from memories but also a much-needed confrontation of some.

But she can't think of that now, the front door is opening and she knows her mother will call her down, soon.

 

* * *

 

Emmett taps on Belle's bedroom window. He's lucky she lives in a one-storey house. He'd gotten here as fast as he could with having a brief stop at the shops for some chocolate. Both Belle and Ruby like to snack when they're upset—Graham does, too, but he doesn't like admitting it.

The window opens and Emmett crawls in to see Belle climb back into bed. She sits with her back to the headboard and her knees drawn up to her chest. He joins her after toeing his shoes off and removing his jacket.

"You okay?"

She sniffs and doesn't look at him. "I don't know."

"What happened?" He dreads her answer.

"Ruby walked me home and kissed me goodbye… on the lips."

 _Finally_. He'd become frustrated watching the two dance around each other and felt bad that Jefferson has had to watch it for years before he'd even shown up.

"Well, that's awesome." He attempts to add joy to his voice but he knows that isn't what has her in this state.

She nods her head. "My Dad saw."

"Oh, okay." He internally sighs. He has an idea where this is going.

"When I got inside he was angry." Her voice breaks and several tears fall down her checks. "He started yelling and calling me names. He grabbed my arms and wouldn't let go. He started shaking me, then he…"

"What'd he do, Belle?" he asks softly and tilts his head to try to get her to look at him.

She turns her head revealing an angry, red mark on her cheek. "He slapped me."

Emmett clenches his teeth and moves his hand to cup her jaw, avoiding touching anything that looks painful. He shifts her head to get better lighting before he hurries off the bed.

"Let's see how he likes getting hit by someone bigger than him," he harshly mumbles under his breath.

Belle grabs his shirt and pulls him back down before he could make it too far.

"No, please, Emmett. Please, just stay here."

Emmett clenches his fists. He takes several deep breaths before settling back down next to Belle.

"Have you told Ruby?"

"I didn't want her to blame herself."

"She'd want to know. Plus…I think it might bruise."

Belle sniffles. "I didn't think he'd have a problem with it. He'd never said anything against it before. He'd grumble about TV shows just adding 'them' for PC reasons, but he'd never…" She let out an angry huff.

"You can never fully know someone, Belle."

"He's my dad, I should have. I shouldn't have been so naïve."

"No one ever wants to think of their parents as something they don't like."

"Maybe it's just his generation."

"No. Okay, people are allowed to believe what they believe. He doesn't like gay people, it's stupid, but it's his right. What isn't fine is him treating you like less of a person because of it. He's your dad, Belle, dads are meant to protect you. No parent should ever hit their kid."

She nods her head and lets it fall onto his shoulder.

"What's in the bag?" she asks after a moment of contemplation.

"Oh," he says with a smile. He drops it into Belle's lap and settles further down onto the bed.

She pulls out the family sized chocolate bar and a wet chuckle follows. She tries to hold it in, but realise she's failing and buries her face in his chest, tears soaking his shirt.

"Why can't I be straight? You would have been a great boyfriend."

"Because you wouldn't be you and you know I'd be a shit boyfriend." He wraps his arms around her and lets her get it all out. When she starts to calm down he adds, "Also, I'm pretty sure Ruby would be upset."

"I really like her."

"I know. What do you want to do about your dad? We could go talk to David."

"No," Belle's head snaps up. "I…I don't want him to get in trouble, and I don't want to get taken away or anything. He's still my dad and I love him. I just want to forget about everything. I'll tell him I was just curious and it was a mistake and that I'll never see Ruby again…" Her voice slows at the reality of her ramblings and drops her head back down to his chest.

"That'll last 5 seconds."

She sighs. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure, uhm… The Nolans asked if they could adopt me."

"Oh, my god, that's great." Her head snaps up again, but she's grinning this time. "And don't be all grumpy or make a joke about it. It's a good thing."

"I know, it's just…" he trails off not quite knowing why it feels weird. He should be jumping at the opportunity. The words 'we want you' keep ringing in his head. There shouldn't be any doubt.

"Just what? They love you, Emmett. They want you. You don't need to be scared of this." But he was terrified, what if they decided he wasn't worth all the hassle but it was too late to get rid of him after the adoption. They'd end up resenting him.

"And then the baby comes along." More sleepless nights but an actual baby will be waking them up with its crying along with him, nearly a fully grown man. And, what if the baby didn't like him? What if he scared it with his screaming and shouting in the middle of the night?

"And they'll love you both equally."

"It doesn't work like that." He'd seen it too many times. David had done a great job reassuring him, but adding adoption into the mix knocked everything off kilter.

"It could. Please don't do anything stupid to get out of it," she begs. "You can't risk losing them; I don't want you to lose them. You said they asked if they could adopt you, so you can always say no, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Emmett finds the hem of his shirt an interesting thing to play with.

"Do you want them to be your legal parents?"

"I… I think so."

"Emmett Nolan, huh?" She adds a playful tone to her voice, trying to lighten the moment.

"I don't know if I'll take their name."

"Well, both Swan and Nolan suit you, so you're good either way." She opens the bar of chocolate and breaks a bit off for him and herself.

"Belle-" The bedroom door opens and Moe French freezes when he spots Emmett in bed with his daughter. "What the hell is going on here?"

Emmett jumps out of bed and positions himself between Belle and her dad.

"This isn't what it looks like, daddy. Please, calm down."

Emmett watches several emotions flicker over Moe's face. Shock starts them and anger follows it, but relief seems to mix in.

He looks at his daughter and jabs a threatening finger in her direction. "Good. I don't ever want to see you anywhere near that red streaked skank again." He leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Arsehole," Emmett bites out and flexes his hands at his sides as he tries to calm himself down, stopping himself from following and giving the idiot a well-deserved punch in the face.

"Emmett, please." Belle sniffles behind him. He turns and sees new tears falling, the tension in his shoulders releases.

"Belle." He drops onto the bed beside her and wraps his arms around her shoulders as her head falls into the crook of his neck.

"He's not who I thought he was," she whispers.

He nods against her head. "I know. I'm sorry."

They stay like that for a moment. Belle taking in Emmett's comfort and Emmett thinking of ways to help. She deserves so much better than this. Emmett had been so broken when he'd first shown up in here and Belle hadn't given him the time of day to begin with. He's not quite sure what had changed that. He'd hit on her every chance he had, then he saw Belle and Ruby interact and had given up.

After, he and Belle had had an actual conversation during class when they'd been paired up for an assignment, he didn't hit on her once (he may not have been able to stop all of his charms, though). He'd given her a genuine smile when she'd been surprised by his work and called him smart. She'd invited him to have lunch with her and the others and she started dragging him into the library after classes and making him study. She gave him someone to just be a normal person around. He'd never really had that before.

Around everyone, he felt the need to be someone else. To David and Mary Margaret, the son that they didn't need to worry themselves sick over. To girls, the charming guy that will break their heart before they break his. To guys, the person that'll steal their girl before they befriend him and eventually screw him over. To Archie, the kid that's doing all right even though nothing has felt right for a long time.

But with Belle, he can just relax.

"I can be your beard if you want," he says out of nowhere.

"What?" She furrows her brow as she looks up at him.

"Pretend you're dating me in front of your dad and date Ruby secretly."

"I don't think Ruby will-"

"She'll understand once we've explained it. That girl would do anything for." He's not sure if it's an exaggeration or not, if he'd said it about anyone else it probably would have been.

"I couldn't make you do that for me."

"You're not, I'm volunteering." He grins. "It was my idea." She still looks unconvinced. "Take the night to think about it. I'll drive you to school tomorrow, and you can decide then. Whatever you decide, you know me and Ruby will make sure you're safe and happy, right?"

She gives him a small smile and nods. "You should go home and sleep. I know you haven't slept properly lately."

He crawls over to the other side of the bed and settles down. "When we've finished the chocolate."

She grins and starts dividing the bar up between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's mad about how I'm dealing with Belle and her dad (I don't like it either), things will change don't worry. But also check out Spectrum by Boyinaband ft. Cryaotic & Minx on YouTube. It's an awesome song about how sometimes you gotta put your safety above coming out and wait till you're somewhere safe with people who care about you.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think. Reviews are always welcome.


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